Social-ecological transformation in the Künstlerdorf Schöppingen - Permaculture and Water
Ecosystem Künstlerdorf - Learning from Nature
The project begun as an accompanying research of the institutional socio-ecological transformation process of the residency program of the Foundation Künstlerdorf Schöppingen. This process aimed to be inspired by permaculture in order to create a way for fair and sustainable coexistence within the Künstlerdorf community and with the local citizens.
The ethical principles of permaculture are: 'Earthcare', 'Peoplecare', 'Fair shares'. In addition, there are the design principles such as 'Obtain a Yield', 'Integrate rather than segregate', 'Use and value edges and the marginal', 'Use and value diversity', 'Observe and interact', 'Creatively use and respond to change', 'Apply self-regulation and accept feedback', 'Use small and slow solutions'... these can be understood for any type of relationships in communities of humans and more than humans (see photo banner on this page).
In a joint research process, Cornelia Steinhäuser explored the understanding of sustainability lived in the Künstlerdorf and the activities initiated for this purpose through intensive field observation from a landscape ecology-ethnographic perspective. And at the same time, Jakob Kreß undertook a field study and a social-ecological mapping of the Künstlerdorf as a real-world laboratory as part of his social science bachelor's thesis. The exploration and evaluation of the 'experimental setting living lab' then took place, in addition to the continued accompanying research, through an interdisciplinary course: the research and project seminar: 'Subtle Networks: The Künstlerdorf Schöppingen as a transformative living lab'. Further 'real experiments' were undertaken, such as co-designing the exchange with citizens on the perception of and possible collaborations with the Künstlerdorf at a 'Vision day' and a 'Discussion forum', as well as the exploration of visible and invisible networking between the people of the Künstlerdorf and Schöppingen through water and their representation on water connection maps.
This work was revisited and further developed in 2024 through the joint program Making Worlds. As part of the course Project Practicum (within the Master’s program in Landscape Ecology), the next group of students collaborated with artists, citizens, and researchers to create a StoryMap entitled Making Maps – Making Worlds: Water in and around Schöppingen. The StoryMap can be accessed via the following link:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c75e6145860e421fbde95dcbf04f8947In 2025, the collaboratively designed program Entangled Landscapes took place in the region. Through three two-day thematic excursions—Water, Soil, and Plants—artists, citizens, and researchers explored various sites and examined different cycles, from their emergence to processing and reuse.
The project won the Citizen Science Prize of the University of Münster and, above all, has led to a deep process of mutual learning by everyone involved.
Koordination: Dr. Cornelia Steinhäuser
Term: May 2022 - December 2025Partner
Publications
Articles
Steinhäuser, Cornelia (2022). Begegnungen mit Mensch und Natur im Künstlerdorf Schöppingen: Socializing with people and nature at the Künstlerdorf. In Julia Haarman (Ed.), Ecosystem Künstlerdorf (pp. 21–41). Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen. (see English version at the End of the German one)
Cornelia Steinhäuser (2023). Learning from nature through art. ZIN-Blog Nach(haltig)-gedacht. Click here to see the german version on the website.
Steinhäuser, Cornelia (2024) Wie wir durch relationales Lernen zu uns selber finden können. How relational learning can lead us to ourselves. In: Julia Haarmann, ed. Making Worlds, Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen, (pp. 56-64) (see English version at the End of the German one)
Poster
Steinhäuser, C., Kreß, J., Leggatt, O., Wälde, P. und Haarmann, J.: "Fostering sustainable and fair transformation together in Münsterland". Presented during the Campus Earth Day at the University of Münster, 13.10.2023.
Talks
Cornelia Steinhäuser "Assessing Impact Beyond Metrics in a Creative Transition. A Living Lab approach in an Artists Residency" New Ruralities: Contestations and Iterations on Rural Spatialities. 32th Colloquium of the IGU Commission on the Sustainability of Rural Systems, Manila, Philippines, 2 -7 December 2025.
Cornelia Steinhäuser "Seeds of Interdependence: Cultivating the Interspecies Relationship between Humans and the Earth" Contested rural spaces / Territorios rurales en disputa, 31th Colloquium of the IGU Commission on the Sustainability of Rural Systems, Mendoza, Argentina, 16. - 20. September 2024
Cornelia Steinhäuser, Mayra Citlalli Rojo Gómez: “Shifting boundaries: exploring approaches in a more-than-human world”, Lecture Series Interdependencies 2024, Geographisches Kolloquium, University of Münster, 7 - 8 May 2024
Cornelia Steinhäuser: “Harvesting Diversity: the cultivation of varied knowledges through farming and gardening in diverse communities”, ZIN Brotzeitkolloquium 2024 - Universität Münster, 18 April 2024
Cornelia Steinhäuser, Grashina Gabelmann and Henriette Aichinger: ExperiSpace ‘Collective creation of a digital Emotional Map’, IfL workshop #9, 20 – 21 March 2024, Leipzig
Cornelia Steinhäuser: „Von artistic research zu kreativen Methoden der Geographie“, Session „Künstlerisch-performative Zugänge zu Raum“, Deutscher Kongress für Geographie 2023, Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, 19.-23. September 2023
Cornelia Steinhäuser: „ An artist’s residency as an actor of social-ecological sustainability in the rural environment ", Clashes of knowledge: "Green deal" concepts and challenges for sustainable rural systems, 30th Colloquium of the IGU Commission on the Sustainability of Rural Systems, Lodz, Poland 5-9 June 2023
Courses and Theses
Theses
Kreß, J. (2022): Das ,Künstlerdorf Schöppingen’ als Reallabor: Erkundungen einer sozial-ökologischen Transformation im Kulturbetrieb (unveröffentlichte Bachelorarbeit)
Leggatt, O. (2024): „Water is a special Place“: What relevance do Place Meanings and Place Scales for Human Place Relationships and Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems? An ethnographic research approach
Courses
Sommersemester 2025: Three Field Trips to Schöppingen in the Programm Entangled Landscapes
Sommersemester 2024:
Projektpraktikum: Making Maps - Making Worlds: A Story Map about Water in and around SchöppingenWintersemester 2023/24:
Hydrogeologische und landschaftsökologische Exkursion zu den Schöppinger Quellen.Interdisziplinäres Forschungs- und Projektseminar: Subtile Vernetzungen: Das Künstlerdorf Schöppingen als transformatives Reallabor (Leitung: Cornelia Steinhäuser, Jessica Hoffmann, Jakob Kreß)
Photos
© O. Leggatt 
© O. Leggatt 
© C. Steinhäuser 
© C. Steinhäuser